Google is opening up its voice-activated Assistant to app creators

Google announced on Friday that it's opening up its voice-activated Assistant to third-party developers.

Initially, developers will be able to build "conversation actions" — which enable consumers to interact with a company's chatbot — through Assistant on Google Home.

The company plans to eventually extend the Assistant integration to its other products, including the Pixel and Allo chat app. Direct actions — which don't require a conversation, such as turning on the lights or playing a song — will still require a partnership with Google.

Integrating with third-party applications makes Google Assistant more attractive to consumers because it provides a seamless end-to-end experience. Two of the three most important reasons for using voice assistants, according to a GlobalWebIndex survey, are that it's quicker and easier than using the web or apps. Integration with third-party apps only strengthens these actions, which will make Google Assistant more competitive in the rapidly growing voice-assistant space; other popular voice assistants include Apple's Siri, Amazon's Alexa, and Microsoft's Cortana. Apple's SiriKit, which the company introduced in its latest OS update, iOS 10, enables apps to work with Siri so users could access their apps through the assistant.

Google Assistant's conversation actions further support chatbot adoption and development. Chatbots have gained increased attention lately for their potential in creating frictionless business-to-consumer (B2C) interactions. Now, consumers are primarily engaging with chatbots through messaging platforms such as WeChat, Messenger, and Kik. Advancements in AI are enabling chatbot developers to create a more conversational experience, which should spur continued adoption. Integrating chatbots into other conversation platforms, such as voice, is a natural progression for the technology.

Advancements in artificial intelligence, coupled with the proliferation of messaging apps, are fueling the development of chatbots — software programs that use messaging as the interface through which to carry out any number of tasks, from scheduling a meeting, to reporting weather, to helping users buy a pair of shoes.

Foreseeing immense potential, businesses are starting to invest heavily in the burgeoning bot economy. A number of brands and publishers have already deployed bots on messaging and collaboration channels, including HP, 1-800-Flowers, and CNN. While the bot revolution is still in the early phase, many believe 2016 will be the year these conversational interactions take off.

Laurie Beaver, research associate for BI Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, has compiled a detailed report on chatbots that explores the growing and disruptive bot landscape by investigating what bots are, how businesses are leveraging them, and where they will have the biggest impact.

The report outlines the burgeoning bot ecosystem by segment, looks at companies that offer bot-enabling technology, distribution channels, and some of the key third-party bots already on offer. The report also forecasts the potential annual savings that businesses could realize if chatbots replace some of their customer service and sales reps. Finally, it compares the potential of chatbot monetization on a platform like Facebook Messenger against the iOS App Store and Google Play store.

Here are some of the key takeaways:

AI has reached a stage in which chatbots can have increasingly engaging and human conversations, allowing businesses to leverage the inexpensive and wide-reaching technology to engage with more consumers.

Chatbots are particularly well suited for mobile — perhaps more so than apps. Messaging is at the heart of the mobile experience, as the rapid adoption of chat apps demonstrates.

Chatbots could be lucrative for messaging apps and the developers who build bots for these platforms, similar to how app stores have developed into moneymaking ecosystems.

In full, the report:

Breaks down the pros and cons of chatbots.

Explains the different ways businesses can access, utilize, and distribute content via chatbots.

Forecasts the potential impact chatbots could have for businesses.

Looks at the potential barriers that could limit the growth, adoption, and use of chatbots.

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